Thursday, August 30th, 2007

I hope we win.

posted by lizzie    « 13 Comments »    tied to Uncategorized   

ING Direct has a photo/essay contest going. If you have an ING account you can enter until Friday, but please don’t as we would like to keep our odds of winning higher.

This is our photo:

And this is our essay:

As one of twelve children, I was raised with the understanding that paying for my post-secondary education would be primarily my responsibility. I started my college savings fund when I was eight years old, knowing that it takes a long time to save up enough money to pay for college when delivering newspapers is your business. More than 75% of my earnings in those ten years went straight into my savings account. By the time I graduated from high school I had several thousand dollars saved, but had also managed to earn a few scholarships and my savings wasn’t needed at the time. I decided to keep adding to it so that it could be used to pay for a graduate degree–which I hoped to earn within five years of graduating. Just before graduation I got married and had to start planning–and saving!–for two. My husband was very supportive of my goals and together we worked out a plan to set aside a few hundred dollars a month by having money automatically withdrawn from our checking account every pay period and put into various money market accounts and mutual funds, including an ING Orange Savings account. Even with the birth of our son we have been able to save nearly $30,000 in the three years we’ve been married because we don’t have to think about it, it just happens. This will help keep our student loans to a minimum as I go back to school this fall.

Think we’ll win? (The correct answer is YES.)

Comments

  1. Melissa says:
    August 30, 2007 at 4:52 am

    You two are extremely impressive. I definitely think you will win–how can you not?
    Good Job on the essay and on being a very very thrifty–even while living in expensive Hawaii. You are my role models–seriously.

  2. Jodie says:
    August 30, 2007 at 2:42 pm

    Yes.

    Awesome pic., by the way!

  3. meg says:
    August 30, 2007 at 3:58 pm

    the picture is great, i just have one thing: gotta have more cowbell.
    i have a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.
    seriously it’s a good essay too.

  4. Jess says:
    August 30, 2007 at 11:20 pm

    Your picture fits perfectly and its so cute and, of course, your essay is amazing! Good luck! Ü You’re going to win!

  5. Anonymous says:
    August 31, 2007 at 6:27 am

    You are all awesome. What a great photo and essay. I think about all of you often. Ana

  6. Tysha & Jacob says:
    August 31, 2007 at 3:51 pm

    Good luck. Hope you and Micah win. Wow… my wife and I should get some financial tips from you guys.

  7. kareena says:
    August 31, 2007 at 9:15 pm

    I just wanted to say I absolutely love the picture. I sure hope you win!!!!

  8. Stephanie J. Robertson says:
    August 31, 2007 at 11:06 pm

    I guess I’ll just echo the others- but that is a wonder essay/photo and I am crossing my fingers for you lizzie! You guys are so amazing.

  9. Meg and Corbin says:
    September 1, 2007 at 10:04 am

    I love the photo, and it is quite an amazing essay. Good luck!

  10. Stephanie says:
    September 1, 2007 at 7:47 pm

    We use ING as well, and I thought about entering the contest, but then I couldn’t think of any cool thing to do for a picture. I definitely like your picture and essay, and I think you have a good chance of winning.

  11. lizzie says:
    September 2, 2007 at 10:29 pm

    Thanks for the support, all y’all. We’ll let you know if anything comes of it. :)

  12. Brad Singley says:
    September 5, 2007 at 2:10 am

    We just opened an ING Orange account. I wish ours had $30,000 in it! Hope you win.

  13. jamie says:
    September 12, 2007 at 10:39 pm

    Love this photo. Really.

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